PLT LINES UP FOR WRONG RWY FOR LNDG. ALMOST MEETS OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC ALSO LNDG.

Date: 1991-10 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|conflict-ground-conflict|critical|other-unspecified

Synopsis

PLT LINES UP FOR WRONG RWY FOR LNDG. ALMOST MEETS OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC ALSO LNDG.

Narrative

I HAVE LANDED AT MINUTE MAN SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST BUT ALWAYS APCHING FROM THE E OR NE. THIS DAY I FLEW IN FROM THE W; CALLED UNICOM FOR THE ADVISORY AND SET MYSELF UP FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE L DOWNWIND FOR 21; THEN L BASE AND FINAL; CALLING MY ACTIONS ON UNICOM THROUGHOUT THE PATTERN. AS I BEGAN MY FLARE TO LAND; I NOTICED OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC ON FINAL FOR THE CORRECT 21. I WAS; IN FACT; LNDG ON 3 WHICH WAS UNMARKED. I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A GAR STEERING TO THE R OF THE RWY OVER THE GRASS. THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC WENT BY HIGH AND TO MY L. AS I WAS IN FULL PWR; FLAPS DOWN CONFIGN APPROX 4 FT AGL; A WOODEN SAW HORSE WAS IN MY FLT PATH CONSEQUENTLY STRIKING IT WITH MY ACFT PROP. AVOIDING THE SAW HORSE WAS IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO A ROW OF PARKED ACFT FARTHER TO THE R OR THE UNKNOWN FLT PATH OF THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC ON THE L. AFTER THE STRIKE; MY ACFT CLBED OUT OF THE AIRFIELD NORMALLY. I THEN ELECTED TO LAND AT NEARBY HANSCOM FIELD; WHICH IS MY HOME BASE; TO ASSESS DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. I FIRMLY BELIEVE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND NEAR MISS WAS THE ABSENCE OF THE RWY DIRECTION NUMBER WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAINTED ON THE APCH END OF 3 TO WARN ME OR ANYONE ELSE OF A POSSIBLE ERROR IN LNDG. I ALSO FEEL SOMEONE AT THE AIRFIELD WAS NEGLIGENT IN ALLOWING A WOODEN SAW HORSE TO BE OUT IN THE OPEN NEAR AN ACTIVE RWY. AFTER LNDG AT HANSCOM I CALLED MGR AT FBO AVIATION TO ADVISE HIM OF THE INCIDENT. HE THEN INFORMED ME THE RWY DIRECTION NUMBER 3 WAS REMOVED FOR SOME REASON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE GENTLEMAN HE SPOKE WITH WAS VAGUE ABOUT THE REASON THE NUMBERS WERE REMOVED. CONSTRUCTION OR SOMETHING. HE STATED WHEN QUESTIONED THAT HE DID NOT OVERFLY THE ARPT TO CHK TFC. THEN INFORMED ANALYST 'OH; THERE WAS NO TFC; JUST THE 1 PLANE'! BLAMED INCIDENT ON HIS OWN COMPLACENCY; BECAUSE HE HAD FLOWN INTO THIS ARPT BEFORE. ANALYST AGREES WITH MAJOR COMPLACENCY.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.